Bank oashieb protector



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BANK OASHi RRRRRR RRRRR v No. 549,612. I Patented Nov. 12,1895. 1

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N. B. REES. BANK CASHIER PROTECTOR- NO. 549,612. Patented NOV. 12, 1895.

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ANDREW BJBRMIAM. FHUTWUMOWASNINGTONJYC.

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N. REES, BANK GASHIER PROTECTOR. No. 549,612. Patented Nov. 12, 1895.

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I 40 41 HI l1 V I E 33 UNITED "STAT- Es PATENT OFFICE.

NAPOLEON REES," OF LINCOLN, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO I FRANKPETREE, or SAME PLACE.

BAN K-CVASHIYE'R PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,612, dated November12,1895. I Application filed March 12, 1895. Serial No. 541,498. (Nomodel.)

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a front View of mybank-cashier protector. Fig. II is a transverse vertical section at theline 00, Fig. I. Fig. III is an under side View of the floor andattachments. Figs. IV and V represent details.

This invention relates to means for protecting the cashier and otherofficers and employs of banks from (as it is generally termed) beingheld up while about their duty in the bank; and its object is,primarily, to enable any such person to instantly surround himself andthe treasures under his keeping with a bullet-proof shield in case ofsuch danger, and, secondarily, to entrap the would-be robber.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination ofparts forming a bank-cashier protector hereinafter described andclaimed.

10 represents the stationary wall of a bankoffice, usually locatedwithin a room of a house at a little distance away from the sidesthereof. This wall should be of bullet-proof material and rise to thebase 11 of the cashiers window 12. Above the wall may extend the usualgrating 13 of iron bars.

14 is the shield, which is a principal feature of this invention. It ispreferably made of sheet-steel in the form of a box the full size of theinterior of the office and is fitted to slide vertically incorner-grooves 15.

16 represents a wire, rope, chain, or cord attached to the top of theshield and passing over pulleys 17 18 and down the rear side of theoffice, where it is provided with a catcheye 19. 20 is a fixedcatch-pin, upon which the said eye may be hooked when the rope is drawndown to hold the shield raised.

21 is the tripper-bolt extending around the office at the four sidesthereof beneath the floor 22 and provided with trip-pins 23, 24,

and 25. A spring 26 impels this bolt outward, and a catch-pin 27 on aspring 28, which is connected with the bolt, engages a hasp 29 to holdthe bolt set when retracted, A series of levers 30 are pivoted beneaththe floor and extend to various points near the sides of the room, wherethey communicate with triggers 31 that extend up through the floorwithin easy reach of the cashiers toe, or the toe of any officer oremploy standing at the counters 32; but these triggers are not locatedin the open floor space where they would be accidentally hit. A cage 33of iron bars or steampipes extend in front of the office, leaving apassage between, at the ends of which are doors 34 35, preferably fittedto slide into the office-casing, as shown in Fig. IV, where they areheld each bya catch 36 against the action of a push-spring 39 while thebank is open. A lever 37 communicates between each catch 36 and one ofthe trip-bolt pins 24: or 25.

The, office-door 38 may be closed and locked.

in office hours, or it may be left open and provided with aclosing-spring and catch like the doors 34 and 35,as shown in Fig. IV.Each of the said spring-impelled doors is provided with a rack 40 ofteeth and a detent 41 to hold the door at any point of advance againstbeing pushed back. This rack is preferably located at the top of thedoor; but if it should be more convenient or effectual it-inay be at themiddle or bottom of the door.

The operation is described as follows: The shield 11 may be raised bypulling down on the cord 16, or by any usual means, and the eye 19 becaught on the pin 20 after pushing back the tripper-bolt 21 to its catch27. Now raise the detents 41 and slide the doors 31 and 35 back untilthey are held by catches 36, and this portion of the bank is ready forbusiness. Then if a robber makes a hostile movement the shield may beinstantly dropped to protect the inmates by any one of them pressing atrigger 31, which will actuate a lever 30 to release the catch-pin 27 ofthe tripper-bolt 21, leaving the latter free to be impelled forward bythe spring 26, which releases the eye 19 from the pin 20, whereby thecord 16 and the shield attached are set free for the latter to drop. Thesame movement of the tripper-bolt 21 actuates the lever 37 to releasethe catches 36, setting the doors free to be closed by their springs 39,thereby entrapping the robber in the cage 33. If he should be part wayout and in the path of the door when it is sprung, he will be caughtthere by and the detent 4:1 and rack 40 will hold the door againstanyeffort of his to open it again. For further defense the wall 10 or theshield 14 may be perforated with portholes 42 at suitable points, withdoors 43 to close them operated from the inside.

The walls, the shield, and the cage may be made in sections convenientto be sepa rated for transportation and for being quickly set upanywhere. The shield enters a groove when down, so that its edge cannotbe reached and even a crowbar cannot be inserted to pry it up. If itshould happen that robbers did lay siege to a bank thus protected, theselfimprisoned attendants could communicate with police-headquarters bythe usual wires entering the office.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein described in anyrespect. The triggers may all be connected by a rail 44, extendingaround the room inside, or triggers of similar operation may be locatedwithin reach of the operators hand. Neither is it necessary to thisinvention that the shield should surround the office, for frequently theconstruction of the bank building presents a single front to customers,so that a shield in the form of a partition crossing the room only wouldmeet the requirement. Furthermore, the application of this invention tothe protection of ticket-sellers at theaters, depots, &c., and for theprotection of the cashier or money-handler in a great variety of officeswould require the shield over a single window only. In the latter caseit is evident that a shield to slide like my cage-doors would meet therequirement. Sliding doors are common and doors hinged as usual orpivoted to swing in their own plane maybe substituted for thosedescribed.

The shield and walls referred to may be made of any suitable material,such as Bessemer steel.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. In bank cashier protectors,a bulletproof shield; ways for the same toslide in, a rope or chain connected with the shield and passing overpulleys and down at the side of the shield and provided with an eye atits end; a fixed pin hook for the said eye, a trigger bolt located belowthe shield to engage the said eye and provided with a spring catch pinand an impellin g spring; levers pivoted to fixtures and extending fromthe said spring catch to various points beneath the shield, and triggersat these points, substantially as described.

2. In bank cashier protectors, a reciprocating bullet proof shield;means for holding the shield open, releasing mechanism and means forsuddenly closing the shield, a cage beside the shield, one or more doorsfor the cage, springs for closing the doors, a ratchet and detent foreach door whereby it will be firmly held at anypoint of closing, a catchfor each door and means communicating between each catch and the saidreleasing mechanism substantially as described, whereby the shield anddoors will be simultaneously set free to be suddenly closed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' NAPOLEON n. REES.

\Vitnesses:

DEXTER L. RUceLEs, GEORGE L. WEBB.

